Novelty attachment for a flashlight



June 28, 1966 w. H. BORING NOVELTY ATTACHMENT FOR A FLASHLIGHT Filed March 24, 1964 INVENTOR- WILLIAM H. DURING BY 7 W United States Patent York Filed Mar. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 354,242 3 Claims. (Cl. 24010.6)

This invention relates to flashlight atttachments, and more particularly concerns an illuminable novelty attachment that is adapted to be applied to or removed from the lamp end of a flashlight without requiring disassembly of the flashlight.

It is customary practice for children to employ flashlights during certain national holidays, such as Thanksgiving Day, Halloween and the like, as an aid in illuminating their way to various houses and apartments and as signal means for flashing signals between one anotner. Accordingly, it is the principal object of the invention to provide a unique flashlight attachment suitable for use as a guidelight, or for identification purposes, and adapted to be detachably attached to the lamp end of a conventional flashlight without requiring disassembly of the flashlight.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned view of the lamp end of a flashlight illustrating the details of the flashlight attachment; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the flashlight attachment of the present invention.

Indicated generally by the numeral is a conventional type of flashlight having an elongated cylindrical casing 12, which may include suitable batteries and a switch (not shown) and which provides a handle. The bell-mouth end of the flashlight casing 12 is denoted at 14 and it is provided with the usual externally screw threaded neck 16 for receiving thereon a threaded lens ring 18. Extending radially inwardly from the end of the lens ring l8 is a small inturned retaining lip or flange 24) for holding the lamp end parts, flanged conical reflector 22 and the lens 24, in assembled relation. It is not necessary to further describe the details of construction of the flashlight 10, inasmuch as such devices are well-known to those skilled in the art, and since no further description of it is required for an understanding of the present invention.

The present invention resides in a flashlight attachment 26 adapted to be detachably attached to the lamp end of a conventional flashlight for rendering it suitable for use as an illuminated novelty head or signalling device without disassembling the flashlight. Accordingly, the attachment 26 comprises basically a two piece unit integrally formed into a hollow shaped body from a flexibly, bendable, light-pervious, resinous material, such as, for example, polyethylene and the like. The attachment 26 comprises two halves 28 and 30 joined at the part line denoted as 32 in FIG. 1. The halves of the attachment 26 are symmetrical and each half of the attachment can be considered almost a perfect image of the other half. The halves 28 and 30 are equipped with channel shaped neck elements 34 and 36 which respectively terminate in radially outwardly extending retention flanges or lips 38 and 40.

A hollow shaped body in the form of a pumpkin is developed when the halves 28 and .30 are folded toward each other about the part line 32. By this construction, other novelty heads, for example, a skull or a cats head, can similarly be made as a flashlight attachment. Each type of novelty head may represent an identifying symbol or emblem for a child, club or particular team or may even constitute symbolic batons.

The device of the invention may be attached to a conventional flashlight by folding the halves 28 and 30 of 3,258,589 Patented June 28, 1966 the attachment 26 about the part line 32, loosening the front end cover 18 so that a channel shaped clearance space 42 is defined between the retaining flange 20 of the lens ring 18 and the lens 24, and compressing the channel shaped neck elements 34 and 36 to permit insertion of the retention lips 38 and 40 into the clearance space 42. Releasing the pressure on the channel shaped neck elements 34 and 36 allows the flanged or lip end of the attachment to assume its normal cylindrical form, so that it yieldably nests against the lens and the inside groove zone formed between the lens and the retaining flange 20 of the lens ring 18 in fixed relation therewith. It should be apparent that the channel shaped neck elements 34 and 36 have a nominal diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the retaining flange 20 which maintains the lens 24 in its position against the front end of the reflector 22.

The attachment of the novelty head to the lamp end of the flashlight 10 is facilitated by preferably forming the lips 38 and 40, wedge shaped. This wedge shape also minimizes the possibility of the attachment working itself loose.

In operation, the light transmitted through the lens strikes the inside wall 44 of the channel shaped neck elements 34 and 36 of the attachment 26, passes into the hollow shaped body and imparts a glowing, non-glare, indirect illumination which may be suited for signalling purposes if desired. Thus, the light in passing through the halves 28 and 30 is diffused and dispersed, thereby imparting a floodlight illumination elfect as compared with the normal focused beam of light produced by a conventional flashlight without the attachment. Transformation of the combined novelty head and flashlight back to the conventional flashlight form is readily accomplished by applying a slight pressure in the neck region of the attachment 26, and withdrawing the retention lips 38 and 40 out of nesting engagement with the channel shaped clearance shape 42. Of course, if it is desired the lens 24 may be removed from the flashlight 10 when assembling the attachment 26 thereto. Otherwise, it can be stated that the attachment of the invention is readily adapted to be applied to the lamp end of conventional flashlights without the necessity of disassembling the flashlight. The slight clearance afforded between the lens 24 and the retaining flange 20 when loosening the lens ring 18 is suflicient to cooperatively receive the retention lips 38 and 40 of the attachment 26 to convert the flashlight into an illuminated novelty head or signalling device. It should be noted that some flashlight constructions are provided with an annular clearance space between the lens and lens ring, and thus the attachment of the invention is uniquely applicable to such flashlights. In fact, in this type of construction there may be no need to loosen the lens ring.

The attachment of the present invention is compact, light and sturdy, since the resinous material employed is relatively resilient, and not easily fractured.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a flashlight and a quick detachable novelty head attachment therefor, said flashlight comprising a casing, a reflector, and a lens ring threadably secured to said casing for holding the lens and reflector in place in said casing; said lens ring when loosened defines an annular clearance space between said reflector and the retaining flange of said ring; said attachment comprising an integral hollow shaped body formed from image-like halves having extending channel shaped neck elements and retaining lips and which halves when folded about a common part line form said hollow shaped body, said lips being removably inserted in said clearance space without requiring disassembly of said flashlight, said attachment being made of a flexible, bendable, translucent material and being shaped whereby an illuminated novelty head is provided when said attachment is secured to said flashlight and when light is transmitted therethrough.

2. In a flashlight having a lens and a lens ring threadably attached to a casing and which when loosened defines an annular clearance space between said lens and said ring, a novelty head attachment therefor comprising an integral flexible, bendable, translucent plastic hollow shaped body formed from image-like halves having channel shaped neck elements and retaining lips extending outwardly therefrom, said image-like halves when folded about a common part line form said hollow shaped body, and said retaining lips being removably inserted in said clearance space without disassembly of said flashlight, whereby light upon being transmitted through said hollow shaped body provides an illuminated novelty head.

3. In combination, a flashlight embodying a hollow barrel constituting a handle adapted to contain batteries, a forwardly facing reflector at the forward end of said hollow barrel, and a cover therefor for holding said reflector in place, said forward end terminating in a neck, and a novelty head attachment for said forward end, said attachment having retaining lip means at the rearward end thereof removably inserted into a clearance space discernable between said reflector and said cover and comprising: an integral flexible, bendable, translucent plastic hollow shaped body formed from image-like halves which when folded about a common part line form said body, whereby the insertion of said retaining lip means into said clearance space is accomplished without requiring disassembiy of said flashlight and whereby light upon being transmitted through said hollow shaped body provides an illuminated novelty head.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,041,315 10/1912 Marx 206l5.1 2,695,355 ll/1954 Giusto 24010.6 2,812,423 11/1957 Penna 2408.18 2,823,300 2/1958 Graubner 24010.6 3,116,885 1/1964 Morse 24046.59 XR NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

I. F. PETERS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A FLASHLIGHT AND A QUICK DETACHABLE NOVELTY HEAD ATTACHMENT THEREFOR, SAID FLASHLIGHT COMPRISING A CASING, A REFLECTOR, AND A LENS RING THREADABLY SECURED TO SAID CASING FOR HOLDING THE LENS AND REFLECTOR IN PLACE IN SAID CASING; SAID LENS RING WHEN LOOSENED DEFINES AN ANNULAR CLEARANCE SPACE BETWEEN SAID REFLECTOR AND THE RETAINING FLANGE OF SAID RING; SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING AN INTEGRAL HOLLOW SHAPED BODY FORMED FROM IMAGE-LIKE HALVES HAVING EXTENDING CHANNEL SHAPED NECK ELEMENTS AND RETAINING LIPS AND WHICH HALVES WHEN FOLDED ABOUT A COMMON PART LINE FORM SAID HOLLOW SHAPED BODY, SAID LIPS BEING REMOVABLY INSERTED IN SAID CLEARANCE SPACE WITHOUT REQUIRING DISASSEMBLY OF SAID FLASHLIGHT, SAID ATTACHMENT BEING MADE OF A FLEXIBLE, BENDABLE, TRANSLUCENT MATERIAL AND BEING SHAPED WHEREBY AN ILLUMINATED NOVELTY HEAD IS PROVIDED WHEN SAID ATTACHMENT IS SECURED TO SAID FLASHLIGHT AND WHEN LIGHT IS TRANSMITTED THERETHROUGH. 